Survey: Generosity is Key to a Happy Marriage

The flowers a man gives to his wife and the back rubs she doles out in return could be the key to a happy marriage. As per a new study, couples with above-average generosity in their marriages reported they were five times more likely to be ‘very happy’. A fulfilling sex life ranked as the single biggest indicator of whether married couples were happy, but high levels of generosity also contributed to good times in the bedroom. This means generosity could be a key to sexual satisfaction and general happiness.

Experts say the generosity can be as simple as couple making coffee, giving flowers or physical attention. But whatever one spouse is giving, the other has to actually want. “(It’s) signaling to your spouse that you know them, and are trying to do things for them that are consistent with your understanding of them,” said Bradford Wilcox, one of the study’s researchers. He further added, “But if, for example, your spouse loves almond mochas, and you get her black coffee instead, it doesn’t count so much toward generosity.”

About 50 per cent of women and 46 per cent of men with high levels of generosity in their marriages reported being ‘very happy.’ By contrast, just 14 percent of couples who did not have high generosity were happy. The researchers compiled a list of five elements most likely to make a marriage happy: Sexual satisfaction was first, followed by a sense of commitment. Generosity and a positive attitude toward the couple’s children were important, as well. Women also need social support from friends and family and men need spirituality within the marriage, the researchers found. The survey examined 1,400 couples with children in the age group of 18 to 46.

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